what is a good tow vehicle with decent gas mileage?

We are beginning the search for an upgraded TV. We currently have a Honda Odyssey but we want one with a bigger towing capacity so we are not maxing it out towing our 2720 and eventually killing it. We want one with good gas mileage in general so we won't want a regular old pickup or SUV that gets bad mileage. We had thought to go hybrid but so far all the hybrids I've found have the same towing capacity as our van (3500 lbs). Suggestions from others who have been there/done that?

Thanks!

-Amy

[Barb&Tim]

This may be a place for you to do some comparisons:

http://autos.aol.com/car-finder/4500...wing-capacity/

Tim

Originally Posted by Barb&Tim

This may be a place for you to do some comparisons:

http://autos.aol.com/car-finder/4500...wing-capacity/

Tim

What a great web site wish I had know about this.

If I had the $$, I'd get a 2011 VW Touareg V6 TDI.

It's pretty luxurious but has a 3L V6 clean diesel with an 8spd auto that gets 28mpg (EPA Hwy). And lot's of diesel torque.

With the OEM hitch, they claim 7700# tow capacity. It has full-time AWD (VW 4Motion) that's good both off-road and on the Interstate.

Have talked with somebody towing an upright trailer similar to my Elkmont 24 and he gets 18mpg towing his. (I get 12 mpg with the Taco). I expect you would get more than 20 mpg with the 2720.

Earlier (2008?, 2009-2010) models had the same V6 TDI but only 5 speed auto and 25mpg (EPA Hwy), but even better off-road capabilities (VW's 4xMotion, air suspension).

Even earlier models had a V10 diesel, but that's a monster.

[Brutus]

Amy, I tow a 2720 as well. If you browse through the threads in "Towing Rigs", you find at least a few threads that say a TV with a 5000# tow rating gives a reasonable minimum margin of towing safety while allowing for decent non-towing mileage (such as a Highlander or Explorer). That said, I wouldn't rule out a Chevy Traverse or Honda Pilot which are in the mid 4's for towing. Make a list of potential vehicles and do a search on here. All the most common TV names have been mentioned. Also, there are also plenty of folks who do just fine by being careful with their 3500# tow-rated rigs. I had a bad experience with a Nissan Murano (3500# rating) with a CVT, as in burnt tranny smell after only a few miles. Thus I went with an overkill midsize pickup. To each their own... Good luck with your search!
r/Pat

Thank you both - those are good ideas and links. We haven't gone on any long trips yet with the Odyssey but we've towed it about 50 miles so far and it seems fine. However, my husband is quite worried we are going to give it an untimely end doing this so we are shopping but in the planning stages right now. He likes to do lots of research before buying anything so I'm just collecting suggestions for him

-Amy

I towed with a '08 Highlander for a while, it did OK with it's 5000 lb tow rating, but I had the same feeling you mention that I was wearing a nice vehicle out prematurely. A lot of our driving is in the mountains. My gas mileage was around 17 MPG average when towing.

We upgraded to a 2006 Tundra. The mileage isn't as good (14 MPG avg when towing) but there's a lot to be said for the extra capability of load and safety. I enjoy being able to take pretty much anything we want within reason and not have to worry about it. Never being a "truck" person, I was really surprised how much I enjoy driving the Tundra. Smooth, quiet, very comfortable vehicle with a V8 exhoust note. Being between a full size and mid size pickup, it's alright around town too.

Not meaning to be an advertisement for a Tundra, really meaning to just say you may want to consider more than MPG if you have a second vehicle.

Originally Posted by Brutus

Amy, I tow a 2720 as well. If you browse through the threads in "Towing Rigs", you find at least a few threads that say a TV with a 5000# tow rating gives a reasonable minimum margin of towing safety while allowing for decent non-towing mileage (such as a Highlander or Explorer). That said, I wouldn't rule out a Chevy Traverse or Honda Pilot which are in the mid 4's for towing. Make a list of potential vehicles and do a search on here. All the most common TV names have been mentioned. Also, there are also plenty of folks who do just fine by being careful with their 3500# tow-rated rigs. I had a bad experience with a Nissan Murano (3500# rating) with a CVT, as in burnt tranny smell after only a few miles. Thus I went with an overkill midsize pickup. To each their own... Good luck with your search!
r/Pat

I love my 2010 Explorer just got it 3 months ago brand new.

[Mr. Adventure]

One advantage we have as RVers is that we tow with pretty much the same weights and loads every time, and this allows us to cut things a bit closer than the people at U-haul, for example, where every rental from every customer is different. It's very important to know where we stand so that we can learn how to compensate for and take best advantage of our towing capacities.

Please make the effort to stop by a truck scale to get the real numbers that can tell you if your WDH is adjusted right and what is really going on with the way you load your vehicle. I've learned something important every time I've made the effort to weigh.

1) This site will tell you where a lot of them are and how to use them: http://catscale.com/

2) Do 3 weighings (the Cat Scale people charge $9 for the first weighing and $1 each for the others, at the time I write this):
1 - Hitched just as you rolled off the highway, with each axle on a different scale segment so that you will get 3 axle weights on the weigh ticket
2 - Repeat, with the WDH chains slacked
3 - Go park the trailer on the side somewhere, and then come back for just the TV axles.

3) The math:
The trailer axle is from the second one, with the slacked chains. The trailer tongue is the TV total with the slacked chains vs the TV by itself. The trailer total is the axle weight plus the tongue weight.

The gross combined weight is on the tickets from #1 and #2 above. This should be the same unless somebody got in or out of the tow vehicle (errors between these would tell you something about scale accuracy).

4) The thinking part:
-The first weighing series is reality for the way you are towing.
-Loads need to be managed.
-You don't want overloaded axles. Gross Axle Weight Ratings are on the driver side door placard and the trailer placard.
-You don't want an underloaded front axle, because that's where your steering and most of the TV braking happens.
-You can distribute loads by physically moving them, removing them, or with the WDH. The WDH is a recommendation for all and mandatory for most, but especially important for people towing with lighter tow vehicles where we always need to use our capacity well.
-One painless and easy way to reduce RV weight is to travel with empty tanks, filling FW only when you are close to where you are going and opening the FW drain valve and dumping the gray water soon after you leave the campsite.

[Mr. Adventure]

Originally Posted by TMMiniVan

We are beginning the search for an upgraded TV. We currently have a Honda Odyssey but we want one with a bigger towing capacity so we are not maxing it out towing our 2720 and eventually killing it. We want one with good gas mileage in general so we won't want a regular old pickup or SUV that gets bad mileage. We had thought to go hybrid but so far all the hybrids I've found have the same towing capacity as our van (3500 lbs). Suggestions from others who have been there/done that?

Thanks!

-Amy

So far, I don't recall any reports of untimely tow vehicle demise from Odyssey or Highlander owners. But, the amount of towing you do is a big deal too. I would probably own a higher capacity tow vehicle if I towed 5-10000 miles per year instead of the 1-2000 miles I typically go.

There are no hybrids I would tow with, because they are stingy with the horsepower and the continuously variable trannys are a weak spot. If I was going to upgrade, I'd go for a new Highlander or a 4Runner.